


Creature comforts

by RestlessCancer



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Age Play, Blood and Gore, Gore, Graphic Description, Graphic Description of Corpses, Infantilism, Non sexual infantillism, Non-Sexual Age Play, Violence, forced age play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-07 12:28:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16408508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RestlessCancer/pseuds/RestlessCancer
Summary: Eddie Brock had no idea the trouble Venom could get him in. Worse yet, he had no idea what it would cost him to get his freedom back.Or the story where Venom goes on a killing spree, lands Eddie in jail, and both have to agree to an eccentric new 'therapy' while doing Fury's dirty work if they want to live and regain their freedom.





	1. Here's the Deal

**Author's Note:**

> ****GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE IN THE FIRST CHAPTER. IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE GORE OR MURDER OF INNOCENT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES DO NOT READ!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*****

For the first week after Carlton Drake was killed in his attempt to bring the rest of the symbiotes to earth, Eddie Brock was holed up at home. When Venom had said goodbye during the fire, he was sure that his new protector and friend was gone forever. He saw Annie every other day as she tried to cheer him up and help him recover. Unfortunately, it didn’t help as much as he thought it would. He spent every day scarfing down food and sleeping. He couldn’t remember being so tired or hungry since he had been in college studying journalism. Without even realizing it, Eddie ate Venom’s favorite human delights at least one a day. Then, it happened.

 

_ When are you planning to let me have control again? I can’t survive solely on your cuisine. _

 

Eddie jolted in bed and fell to the floor. He had been dozing prior to hearing Venom in his head. Surely, he was dreaming about his badass, snarky space demon again. Afterall, there was no way Venom survived the fire from the rocket- right…?

 

_ If you don’t answer me, I’m going to take control from you with or without your consent. _

 

Eddie couldn’t help it as he burst into tears. It was just so incredible to have the one thing back that made him feel like he was worth something and that he could make a difference- with or without the support of others. 

 

_ What is this? Why are you crying?! _

 

“I thought you were dead!” Eddie sniffled, scrambling up off the floor to look in the mirror. If Venom wouldn’t show himself, he’d have to settle for the reflection trick. “Holy shit, it’s good to see you alive…”

 

_ If you want to keep me alive, you’ll take me out. _

 

“Shit! Right, okay, but we gotta wait for nightfall. It’s the middle of the day,” Eddie qualified. “We have to be discreet or we’ll get caught and it’ll be like the whole Drake thing all over again but a million times worse.”

 

_ Fine. Then we feast. _

 

“Definitely.” Eddie grinned.

 

After spending most of the day catching Venom up on Eddie’s meager activities since the explosion, Eddie got cleaned up and practically ran to the streets. He didn’t necessarily like killing, per se, but he did like doling out justice to douchebags in Los Angeles. The murder was to quell his partner’s thirst for blood and flesh. The more Venom fed, the healthier his host stayed. They wandered to the rougher neighborhoods and watched for someone, anyone, to expose their true colors. It took two laps around the neighborhood before they finally caught some skeezy drug dealers in the act. They had agreed the best way to be discreet was to stick to the areas where crime was typical and keep it clean.

 

“Whatcha got there?” Eddie snooped as he sauntered up to the group of guys standing around a car’s open trunk. 

 

“You lookin’ for a good time too?” A skinny, bleach blonde guy that looked like the definition of thirty something year old virgin pothead spoke up. He was starting to show signs of meth mouth. “I’ve got everything you need to reconnect with the universe and get the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had.”

 

“Nah, I’ve slept most of the past week away,” Eddie dismissed, eying the clearly underage kids that were watching on. They looked terrified and uncomfortable, like they knew they were screwed. “You guys don’t even look like you’re old enough to have the kinda power to decide to ruin your own lives. By that I mean, you look like you’re in elementary school.”

 

“Hey we have our permits and we work.” The scrawniest spoke up. He looked strung out already. “We can do whatever we want as long as we keep our grades up.”

 

“Are you aware that you’re gonna look like him in a couple years if you keep this up?” Eddie questioned, tucking his hand under his chin in contemplation.

 

“So what?” The oldest looking pushed.

 

“So you want to look like you’ve been festering in your mom’s basement for nearly forty years?” Eddie prompted, genuinely perplexed. 

 

“Maybe we do. It’s not like we have much else to look forward to.” The twig spoke up again. 

 

Before Eddie could question them further, Venom took over. He loomed over the group of kids and the dealer like a skyscraper. The symbiote’s tongue snaked out for a moment like a bug’s antennae feeling out the air before curling back into his mouth.

 

“Then you won’t mind feeding my future.” Venom commented, snagging the oldest and biting his head off.

 

The next few moments were excruciating for Eddie as he listened to the drug dealer insist he didn’t mean anyone any harm and the kids crying for their moms. The scene triggered some unwanted memories for the host. He remembered growing up without his mom since she died giving birth to him… How he used to cry to himself at night that he wished his dad was dead instead of his mom… Before he could stop Venom, it had already been done. The symbiote must’ve been famished because the only sign that something happened were a few splatters of blood. There were no bodies left behind. 

 

_ Why do you mourn for a death peddler and his delinquent customers? _

 

“Because those kids… they were kids!” Eddie answered, disgusted with what they had done. “We don’t kill kids!”

 

_ What happened to no witnesses? The offspring would have only caused more trouble for us. I’ve done what you asked. _

 

“Fine. You’ve eaten and now I wanna go home.” Eddie sighed, running a hand through his hair.

 

_ No. _

 

“No?” Eddie double-taked. “What do you mean no?!”

 

_ I have been dormant because I was on the brink of death. If you really do value my life, then you will take me to my next meal. If you refuse, I’ll take over. _

 

“I thought you needed a willing host to survive?” Eddie panicked, looking into the rear window of the car next to him. 

 

_ A willing host lasts longer, but a rejecting host does just fine for the short term. I can find a new life, but you only have one. Just because I like you doesn’t mean I’m willing to starve myself.  _

 

“I’m not gonna let you kill anymore kids tonight!” Eddie snapped, his heart and mind racing as memories ran through his head. “It’s not their fault! They didn’t do anything to deserve the shit they got!”

 

_ You’re taking this too personal, Eddie. Looks like I’ll be doing things my way. _

 

Eddie found himself being unwillingly engulfed in Venom, losing all control over the situation. He found himself being encased in the symbiote so thoroughly that he was no longer in control no matter what urgent message of protest his brain sent to his limbs. Once Venom was sure that Eddie would be incapable of stopping his feeding frenzy, the chaos began. The killing was indiscriminate and brutal. Venom’s first victim was a teenage mother coming home for the first time with her baby. He started by biting her head off- it was kinder that way- then ripped the limbs from the body to consume before devouring the remainder. Not long after, the baby began to screech for its mother, which is what drew Venom’s attention. He approached the car and, with some delicacy, removed the newborn from the car seat. Venom examined the frail, tiny human with interest before consuming it in one bite. He had yet to learn much about human offspring, but what little he did know told him that was one. His attention was grabbed by another potential meal before he could process the odd feelings that arose from eating a defenseless being. 

 

After a decent blood bath had begun in the impoverished neighborhood, the cops showed up. They marveled at the strange, horrifying and yet impressive specimen before them. As Venom made to rip the head off of one of the officers, he recoiled in pain. The lawmen had whistles that tore at his very core. He was nearly dislodged from Brock when the sound stopped and he was able to retreat into his very delirious host. Before either could process the immense trouble they were in, Eddie was shot full of tranquilizers that had even Venom struggling to stay conscious of the surroundings. Eddie was hauled into an armored transport vehicle and shipped off to prison at the first green light from the superiors. 

 

When Eddie awoke, he was beyond lost. He looked around the padded isolation cell. His heart sped up and his head spun with the panic that set in. Why the fuck was he in prison?! He sat up and got to his feet. They hadn’t bothered with a straight jacket, which he was thankful for, but they stripped him of his own clothes and personal effects. He was in a baggy orange jumpsuit that had no pockets, but was very scratchy. Eddie wondered if anyone knew he was missing. Wasn’t that a terrifying thought? Would he be left to rot for God knows how long? Was there anyway to explain that he had another being controlling his actions? He had know idea what law would dictate in his case since it had never before occurred that a human was controlled by a stronger, violent creature. He supposed he’d just have to wait.

 

==>  

 

It was nearly a month before anyone bothered to confront Eddie about his killing spree. The first few talks addressed whether he was in his right mind when it happened. Then they addressed the thing living inside him. That didn’t go over well.

 

“Eddie, the officers claimed to have shot you with enough tranquilizers to take down a herd of elephants,” The warden pointed out. “They reported that some sort of inky, piranha- faced creature had you sucked into its core.”

 

“That’s true.” Eddie agreed. “I have a parasite that is very deadly to others.”

 

“APOLOGIZE!” Venom growled, his face materializing outside Eddie’s body to get his point across. “I AM NOT A PARASITE!”

 

“You feed off of me if I don’t feed you right!” Eddie argued, unconsciously shrinking back in his seat. “That’s the definition of a parasite!”

 

“I am a superior life form that can adapt to any environment given the necessary resources.” Venom spat, ignoring the freaked out warden across from them. “I coexist with my host.”

 

“While trying to kill me!” Eddie reminded him. “You see what I have to deal with Mr. Warden?! He’s impossible!”

 

The warden, bewildered by the sight before him, said nothing. Slowly, he reached down and pulled up his gun, aiming it at Venom’s ‘floating’ head. 

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Eddie warned cringing as Venom stretched closer to the warden’s face. 

 

“If you want a fight, you’ve come to the wrong place. Your head will be gone before you can pull the trigger,” Venom promised, his tongue snaking out of his mouth and writhing towards the officers face. 

 

The door to the interrogation room opened and then slammed shut to reveal a man with an eye patch and a leather coat. He spoke up as he stared down Eddie and Venom, “I’ve seen enough. You’ve clearly gotten all the clarification that these two numbskulls are going to give you. I’ll take over from here.”

 

“That one will be harder to kill,” Venom grumbled as he retracted closer to Eddie so only his host could hear. 

 

“Your killing spree is what got us into this mess!” Eddie snapped. 

 

“Listen to the big mouth, parasite,” the man spoke up as the warden backed out of the room. “If you play nice, we might even let you feed again.” 

 

Before Venom could make a move, the man lit a match and waved it about.

 

“Didn’t think I would know about this, did you?” He challenged. “ I have two of the world’s leading scientists under my thumb and they are very good at telling me what I want to hear.” 

 

“Who are you?” Venom questioned, glaring at the mystery man before them.

 

“My name is Nick Fury. I am the director of Shield.” The man introduced himself. “Word got back to me in New York that a nosy reporter got a new bloodthirsty vigilante companion. When I heard about it, I knew it was time to get involved.”

 

“Fuuuuck!” Eddie groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. “Why me?!”

 

“Because you could be useful, but you’re a bit of a loaded gun at the moment.” Fury answered, putting out the match. 

 

“What are you gonna do to us?” Eddie sighed in resignation. 

 

“Many things, but we’ll talk about the details when we get you back to New York and set up in your new home.” Fury dismissed, gesturing to an unseen camera. “Meet your new best friends: Agent Romanov- also known as Black Widow- and Agent Coulson.”

 

As he made the introductions, a tired looking man and a red-headed woman entered the room. Everyone knew about Black Widow but still no one expected her appearance. Most knew of Coulson, though Eddie was sure the man was under appreciated in his line of work. Both were dressed fairly casually for being on a mission to convert him to the no-kill side. 

 

“Coulson will be overseeing your transition into your new life with the Widow’s aid,” Fury further explained.

 

“Woah, wait a minute!” Eddie spoke up as Venom eyed Black Widow as she came towards them. “Don’t I get a say in all this?”

 

“You do, but the way the law sees it you only have two options,” Fury qualified, giving him a hard stare with his one good eye. “You can stay in here and rot until you both die or you can accept my offer and be retrained. If you complete the missions and accept your new lifestyle- including your infuriating new best friends- then your parasite will have plenty of opportunities to feed and you’ll be able to sleep in a comfortable bed instead of a padded cell. It’s your choice, Eddie.”

 

“What do you think you’re doing, spider?” Venom questioned Natasha as she came in close to study the parts of him that were visible. 

 

“Getting a closer look at the thing that landed a sad little reporter a life sentence in prison,” She answered, her face inches away as she studied his.

 

“Aren’t you scared?” Venom pressed, trying to understand her.

 

“Honey, I married a man who turns into a not so jolly green giant when he’s pissed,” Natasha smirked. “I've fought aliens bigger and scarier than you. Not to mention an Artificial Intelligence army that ripped a city off the planet and murdered thousands designed by the world’s leading tech creator in his attempt to make the world a safer place. You. Don’t. Scare. Me.”

 

“Eddie, I like this one,” Venom grinned, pulling his host from his thoughts about their precarious situation as Natasha pulled back and circled behind Eddie to wait for further instruction.

 

“What exactly are you going to do with me if I agree to go with your crazy ass?” Eddie prompted, glancing between Coulson and Fury. 

 

“You will be set up in the Avengers tower. They will do their part to retrain both of you to be more amiable to the public. They will also teach you any fighting styles and provide you with any technology that may be necessary or desirable in future missions,” Coulson elaborated at Fury’s nod. “In addition those that have submitted to the lifestyle that you will be agreeing to live by whenever you aren’t on missions or covering stories or exposés, will be helping you learn and adjust as needed in addition to keeping you company. If at any time we believe a different handler would be better suited, we will make the necessary adjustments.”

 

“You have five minutes to think it over and for the both of you to come to an understanding.” Fury notified them. “For the record, we wanted Drake out of the picture as badly as you. Any high tech rockets with top secrets missions should only come from Stark himself. At least we can monitor that one. Drake had no business trying to find the others out there.”

 

“You refer to my kind?” Venom clarified.

 

“There’s a hell of a lot more out there than just your sorry bottom feeding ass, Inky,” Fury responded. “Five minutes starts now. Get your shit together. Romanov, you know the plan.”

 

With that, Fury and Coulson stepped out and waited for Eddie to decide. The director set a timer and waited. Inside the room that had Eddie thoroughly cuffed and chained the table, Natasha Romanov circled around and sat across from the two. Venom grinned at her while Eddie sighed and leaned back in his chair.

 

“I’m guessing you’re still in here to get me to take the bait?” Eddie assumed, looking her over. She wore a long black hooded sweater, black leggings and heeled ankle boots with a heathered charcoal v-neck shirt. She certainly was attractive, but he was still head over heels for Annie. With her reputation, she was either part of this to seduce him or to subdue him. 

 

“Yes, but not in the ways you’re assuming.” Natasha smiled. “I’m here to tell you the best parts of this offer. You’ll be living in luxury with a floor of the tower all to yourself. You’ll finally have friends that will support you when go after people like Carlton Drake. In fact, Tony was nearly ready to ruin Drake’s livelihood himself. Tony’s seen all kinds of horrible things and been put through the worst. He understands better than most the importance of staying the hell away from whatever’s beyond our solar system and stopping anyone who might bring any unwanted guests home. I’m sure you two will get along well. On top of all that, you’ll have access to the best equipment designed by the tech genius himself. You’ll be allowed to investigate to your heart’s content so long as you meet the requirements for continuing on the retraining program. Once the program is complete, you’ll have two options. You can either join the Avengers- given that you haven’t made them your enemies- or you can be owned by Shield.”

 

“And if I don’t complete it?” Eddie pressed, disconcerted by the lack of detail about the other possible outcomes.

 

“You die.” Fury interjected. “Times up. I’ve got shit to do.”

 

“He’s being overdramatic.” Natasha dismissed. “You rot in jail for the rest of your miserable existence. If you’re lucky, you’ll get shanked early on and your parasite will be burned alive.”

 

“Listen and listen well, Spider. I am not a parasite.” Venom growled. “I am what your kind calls a symbiote. The healthier I am the more you thrive.”

 

“The more you behave, the longer you live.” Natasha shot back. “Make your decision. Rot or thrive?”

 

“Thrive. I’ll try your damn program.” Eddie submitted, not meeting her eyes as he contemplated what would become of Annie. 

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll still have contact with your mistress.” Natasha smirked.

 

“What are you?! A Goddamn mind reader?!” Eddie demanded.

 

“Just a spider that’s good at her job.” Natasha replied, stabbing him in the leg with a needle under the table and emptying the contents into his veins. “It might burn for awhile. Nighty night, Little One.”


	2. Consequences

When Eddie woke up (again), all he could see was a soft blue painted ceiling. This was not the prison anymore. Wherever he was wasn’t familiar to him in the least, which was probably the point. As he stretched, he heard an odd sound and felt some sort of walls with strategic gaps in them surrounding him. Eddie realized there was something lodged in his mouth as he yawned. It wouldn’t dislodge itself no matter what he tried and when he brought his hands to his face to pull it out, he saw his hands were trapped in what looked like thin blue oven mitts that locked around his wrists. He raised an eyebrow and peered between the bars. It was some sort of nursery that he was in if the colors and furniture were any real indication. As he struggled to sit up, he noticed the absence of commentary from Venom. Why wasn’t Venom questioning things or berating him? Did he get taken out while Eddie was drugged? Were the drugs lethal to him? Or was Venom just giving him the silent treatment?

 

“‘Eeeey!” Eddie called out as he looked over his attire in concern and panic. What the fuck was he wearing???

 

“Babe, he’s awake!” Natasha’s voice rang through the nursery as she fast-walked her way in. “Hey, Little Storyteller!”

 

“Wuh da Fuh???” Eddie attempted to demand.

 

“Sorry, Little one, we forgot about the whole transition talk,” Natasha apologized, reaching into the crib, as Eddie came to notice, to remove the pacifier gag. “Try that again, but watch your language because Daddy might actually punish you if he hears.”

 

“What is going on?!” Eddie snapped, glaring at her as she resnapped the gag in her hands. “What am I wearing?”

 

“You’re wearing what all baby boys wear. A sleeper and a diaper.” Natasha calmly answered, leveling him with warning look. “Watch your tone and your attitude or Daddy won’t be the only one in a punishing mood. You agreed to go through the retraining program. The program utilizes forced age play to break down the participant to their core being so that they can be rebuilt. It’s very helpful in correcting behaviors. Though some who participate in age play here do it for relaxation. Once we’re sure you’re ready to abandon your old ways, we’ll gradually rebuild you back to the average adult standard. From there, you choose which life you’d rather lead.”

 

“So this whole age play thing is temporary but not optional?” Eddie pressed, grimacing at the new intel.

 

“For the majority of the participants, yes. I admit that not all abandon it once they’ve graduated from the program.” Natasha qualified. “Some find that it helps them relax or that it’s too difficult to shut off that part of their brains.”

 

“What about Venom…?” Eddie hesitated, unsure of whether he wanted to know while he was trying to process so much new information.

 

“What about him, Pumpkin?” Natasha asked, uncertain of whether he was asking how Venom fit into it all or if they had other plans for the symbiote.She unlatched the crib’s side, slid it down and under. before taking a seat, and pulling Eddie into her arms.

 

“I- I can’t hear him and he’s not making himself known…” Eddie panicked, his breathing starting to pick up as his eyes burned and spilled tears down his face. “I just got him back! I- I c-can’t lose him again!”

 

“Oh, Sweetheart,” Natasha cooed, rubbing Eddie’s back as she kissed his temple.

 

“What’s going on, Honey?” Bruce softly inquired as he approached and sat down next to her.

 

“He found out about Venom…” Natasha stage- whispered. 

 

“Which part?” Bruce grimaced, sighing as he ran a hand down their temporary charge’s back.

 

“Venom hasn’t said anything yet…” She hinted, attempting to cover Eddie’s ears while he tried to reign in his meltdown.

 

“I thought we’d have longer before this happened…” Bruce frowned, concern radiating from his eyes as he locked his with hers.

 

“Apparently not. This could ruin his regression and completely botch the program,” Natasha worried, not paying any attention to the change in Eddie. He was finally calming down but he kept up appearances and faked his mourning to try and get more information. For a spy, she underestimated his ability and desire for knowledge. “If Fury finds out that we botched the sedative and accidentally skipped a few steps, we won’t even get the pleasure of him biting our heads off first before he puts us in front of the firing squad.”

 

“Assuming he doesn’t hand us over to Hydra to be tortured to death for information and leverage that we don’t have,” Bruce agreed, slouching in his seat. “I mean maybe we can run some tests to see what we can find out… Tony recently added to the infirmary so we have a few more options to see what’s going on and what we can do to save our asses.”

 

Natasha nodded and turned back to Eddie, uncovering his ears as he continued to feign whimpers and sniffles, “Okay, Sweetheart, we’re gonna go bye-bye from the nursery so Daddy can play doctor with you. He wants to see how your friend’s doing, okay? Can you be my brave little storyteller and let Daddy check on him?”

 

“Fine,” Eddie submitted, deciding to withhold the fact that he knew they screwed up. “Can I please change out of these awful clothes?”

 

“Sorry, Little Man, No can do,” Bruce apologized, making Eddie jump as the scientist grabbed at his diapered rear and crotch to see if he needed changed. “We should probably change him before he gets a rash, Nat.”

 

“I can take care of it while you get set up in the infirmary,” Natasha responded, running her fingers through Eddie’s hair. He hated that he was enjoying his position but who was he to bitch about resting his head on her breasts while she pet his hair? He was sure that Venom would be proud to an extent.

 

“Alright. Remember to use the stroller and if he gets mouthy, we have to use the gag.” Bruce added before rose and left the nursery. “I’ll see you down there in a bit.”

 

“Alright, Pumpkin, let’s get you cleaned up,” Natasha narrated as she disturbed his relaxation and laid him down in the crib. She began to undress him before he could gather his bearings- the woman knew what she was doing and clearly her skills were multi purposed. 

 

“What the fuck?!” Eddie freaked out attempting to jerk out of her grasp as she tried to untape the surprisingly used diaper- no way he did that- only to get pinned to the plush mattress with her pinning his hands and her knees carefully cutting off the flow blood through his femoral arteries.

 

“Never forget that though I am petite and feminine in my home, I am still deadly,” Natasha threatened, not about to put up with any fighting on his part. “I am trying to make this as pleasant for you as I can. Most people aren’t allowed the liberties you have in this program because Fury and all of us are fond of you even after everything that’s happened.”

 

“Liberties?! You call being drugged, babified, inhibited and violated a luxury?!” Eddie yelled. “What kind of fucked up world do you live in, lady?!”

 

“Do you want to know how this should go?” Natasha prompted, shifting her weight just the right way to make Eddie cry out in pain.

 

“Sure, enlighten me!” Eddie panted through gritted teeth.

 

“According to normal protocol, the program begins as such,” Natasha began. “First, participant- we’ll use your name for the example- Eddie, is knocked out. While out, Eddie is changed into a diaper, sleeper, locking mittens, and pacifier gag. Once settled in the nursery, Eddie is to be thoroughly restrained in his crib, which means ankles and wrists tied to the bars. When Eddie wakes, he will be left to puzzle his situation out on his own.  Mama Nat is not to interact with Eddie until he reaches his breaking point and notices the note dangling from a mobile that should read ‘cry for mama.’ Eddie will not be cared for in any way until he cries for Mama, even if it takes a week. Eddie is only allowed the most basic essentials to keep him decently healthy until he does. Once broken, Eddie will be regularly drugged to inhibit his motion and abilities to function on his own. He will be treated as an infant until Mama Nat is completely certain that he is capable of moving forward to toddlerhood without reverting to adult ways. Inhibitors shall be used until Eddie has completed the program. Said inhibitors are catalogued in the handbook with their uses noted. Mama Nat may also utilize punishments such as spanking, time outs or other child friendly inhibitors that follow the appropriate behavior modification guidelines. End of story.”

 

Eddie stared up at her in horror as it all sank in. All the vivid images that her words conjured up were too much.

 

“That is your warning. If you try anything that I don’t like, we’re going by the book and this experience will start out very traumatic for you.” Natasha warned, her eyes steely and harsh as they bore into his. “Now, are you going to behave?”

 

Eddie couldn’t do anything but not. He sighed and moaned in relief as she released his hands and moved off of his legs. She continued on with her task of changing him as he came to terms with the fact that this was the situation he was trapped in- at least until Venom was back in the picture…

 

“I don’t like having to torture you,” Natasha spoke up as she cleaned off his privates and rear. “I know it’s hard enough to get used to your situation without having someone treating you like a prisoner or a plaything. That’s why I tried a softer approach with you. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about you that makes me want to nurture you more than any of the others I’ve fostered…”

 

“Thanks, I guess…” Eddie mumbled, trying not to think about the fact that he was being put into another diaper after being clinically touched by a woman. This hadn’t happened since he was first brought into the world. 

 

“It’ll piss Bruce off, but I’ll let you walk if you promise to hold my hand the whole time.” Natasha bargained, resituating the navy sleeper he was encased in. “Deal?”

 

“Deal.” Eddie begrudgingly accepted as she helped him up. She surprised him by removing the mittens. 

 

“You won’t be able to grab anything with those on.” Natasha explained his silent question as she disposed of the dreaded mitts and took his hand.

 

Eddie stayed silent and vigilant as she led him out of the nursery and into the hall of what looked like a luxury apartment. Realistically, he knew he was on one of the many floors of the Avengers tower, but which one was hard to say. The only one he knew was that Stark’s floor was the penthouse up top. He made a mental map as they made their way to the elevator just through a door in the living room. The infirmary was on a lower floor based on the elevator’s drop as the floor was input. He waited with a smothered sigh until the doors opened up to show an infirmary that looked like it had been ripped right out of a small town hospital. He heard the quiet words of someone other than Banner, who was waiting at a desk in the center of the floor. Listening closely, Eddie thought he heard something or another about someone looking like Frankenstein’s monster…? 

 

“Nat…” Bruce glared as they approached. “I told you to be more firm and here he is practically stripped of everything we’ve done so far. Not only do I want you to see this through, but I don’t want Fury to think he needs to get involved. If we screw up with Eddie, he’ll send him to one of the other caregivers in the tower. If he ends up with Steve, I’m confident that one or both of them will end up dead. What are we gonna tell Steve’s perfect little baby when Daddy goes six feet under?” 

 

“Look, he needed to be able to trust us before we do all these tests,” Natasha argued, shooting him a spectacular bitch face. “We can kick things into full gear after we do what we have to.”

 

“You should have listened to your husband, Romanov.” Fury scolded, walking out from behind the partition that originally blocked off the conversation Eddie heard when they first came in. “Looks like I chose the wrong caregiver for his first week. Apparently, you don’t have what it takes to do the job right anymore.”


	3. Born (Again)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much, Much longer chapter.... Hope you guys enjoy. It's 3 am and I'm finally going to bed.

“ дерьмо ,” Natasha cursed, hugging Eddie close to her.

 

“What’s happening?” Eddie questioned, glancing between her and Fury.

 

“What’s happening is that I’m having Coulson reassign you to a different caregiver.” Fury answered, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ll be with Captain Rogers until your long term caregiver has recovered.”

 

“Recovered? What the hell are you gonna do to her?”  Eddie demanded, alarm ringing through his head as he dreamt up her potential punishment.

 

“Oh Agent Romanov has thoroughly screwed her chances of being your long term caregiver,” Fury corrected. “The man we chose as your long term is recovering from a recent mission that went awry.We still got the results we desired, but it was a qualified victory since they maimed one of our best soloist agents.”

 

“He means me,” A man spoke up and came into view. Eddie’s eyes went wide when he saw the scarred and disfigured face- connected to body that was equally disfigured all over- looking over him. “I get that a lot. My closest friend compared my face to something along the lines of the result of two ancient avocados violently fucking.”

 

“That’s disgusting,” Eddie blurted, cringing as he realized his mistake. “Not that you are- or you look like-”

 

“It’s fine, Munchkin.” The man laughed. “Not every day you see an indestructible animate prune running around. My name is Wade, but, if you know of me, I’m better known for the mercenary for hire called Deadpool.”

 

“Deadpool?” Eddie pressed, astonished that he was face to face with the sociopath- Eddie’s words- that killed without discrimination as long as he was paid accordingly. “You’re the guy that can take a few hundred bullets and still decapitate his target?!”

 

“In the flesh, though, by the look on your face, you’re not a fan,” Wade responded, a sympathetic smile on his face. “Look, I only kill bad people and if their associates get in the way then they’ve clearly chosen their path and accept what’s coming to them. If it makes you feel any better, pretty much all my targets are hand picked by Shield itself.”

 

“It doesn’t,” Eddie shot down, frowning at the thought that herd-minded individuals that may not think they have a choice were getting gunned down for being guilty by association. 

 

“That’s enough story-time for now, Wade,” Fury interjected. “We still haven’t been enlightened as to what problem Romanov and Banner were so afraid of me finding out. Any volunteers?”

 

No one spoke. Natasha and Bruce exchanged worried and frustrated glances while Eddie resisted the urge to cry. It didn’t take long before the reporter cracked and the tears and sniffles started.

 

“Venom won’t talk to me,” Eddie sniffled, gasping for breath as he returned Natasha’s embrace as she murmured apologies and comforts in his ear. “They screwed up something with the sedative and now he won’t talk…”

 

Fury looked as though he would die of an aneurysm on the spot before he reigned himself in and gritted out, “Run your goddamn tests and if I find out that you killed that magnificent parasite, I will be treating you both to the same fate. Call me as soon as it’s done. Crash test dummy, let’s go find Rogers and see if we can send Stark after this lot.”

 

“He calls people names on the best of days,” Wade commented, in an attempt to make Eddie laugh- which failed, before taking his leave. “Cheer up, Bud, he’ll be back!”

 

Since they were already on Fury’s shit list, Bruce and Natasha figured it would be better to calm Eddie down before they moved forward. They cuddled on a cot while Bruce awaited the scans from Annie’s boyfriend. He figured the more he could learn about the pair without having to subject them to every possible test, the better it would be for Eddie. It took nearly fifteen minutes for Eddie to be calmed by Natasha’s words and gentle ministrations. By that time, the infirmary doors opened up for a very disgruntled looking Tony Stark.

 

“What was so important that Fury has to interrupt my Captain Daddy time before it even started?” Tony demanded, crossing his arms. 

 

“Shhh!” Natasha hissed. “He’s trying to rest. He’s had a very rough time recently.”

 

“We have a new addition to the tower as Fury told you,” Bruce explained, rising to meet Tony at the main desk to talk. “What Fury hasn’t told you is that the new little one from the program is the first and, currently, only human successfully bonded with a symbiote from Drake’s human trials. Though Eddie was never meant to bond with any symbiote. Unfortunately, the sedative we gave Eddie seems to have knocked Venom, the symbiote in question, out cold with no promise of waking.”

 

“Have you done any tests or imaging yet?” Tony pressed, his curiosity smothering his frustration. “How do you know it’s the sedative if you haven’t done any diagnostics?”

 

“I haven’t done any tests myself, but I do have the original scans from when Eddie was first checked over,” Bruce answered, pulling up the records on the holo-computer. “From what I can see, it’s like Venom has burrowed inside Eddie and encased his organs and cardiovascular system with his own almost slime-like body. We figure that it was the sedative because if my theory is correct, Venom would have metabolized the majority of it with how fast Eddie came to after transport.”

 

“Alright, what’s the plan then?” Tony questioned. “How do we wake it up? Is there some sort of time limit?”

 

“I’m not sure if there’s a time limit to keep Venom alive, but I know there’s one to keep us alive. If we can’t wake Venom and prove he’s still alive and well, Fury will euthanize Nat and me,” Bruce qualified. “The only notes that the examining doctor and Annie, Eddie’s former girlfriend, left were that Venom’s weaknesses are fire and certain frequencies of sound. An example listed is the sound of an MRI.”

 

“Can’t hurts to try and scare it out,” Tony suggested, noticing the scowl on Natasha’s face. “You want the brat to perk up or what?”

 

“Of course, but-” Natasha began to argue.

 

“No buts. They gave us a surefire option and we’re taking it.” Tony cut her off. “Let’s get him strapped down and into the machine, Bruce.”

 

“I don’t like it, but you’re probably right.” Bruce frowned with a sigh. “Let’s get it over with…”

 

While Eddie was dozing, Bruce and Tony transferred him to the MRI and strapped him down. Natasha stood back by the computer outside the small cornered off room and watched them handle her “child.” She was in no way supporting this, but she knew she didn’t have a choice. After seeing the lengths Fury would go to for the results he desired, there was no way she was putting any of her little family in the crossfire. She stiffened as Bruce rubbed her back. She knew he was doing what he had to, but she still couldn’t bring herself to be okay with it. She wanted Eddie- her first Mommy and Baby spark since they began the program- but, though she was fascinated and endeared by the symbiote, she wasn’t crazy about having to torture her baby just for a parasite that shouldn’t have been on Earth in the first place.

 

“Let’s wake this bad boy up,” Tony murmured, beginning the startup process for the machine.

 

“Are you referring to the machine or the symbiote inside it that’s going to murder my baby when it wakes to find you trying to piss it off and possibly kill it?” Natasha bitterly remarked, glaring at Tony as he initiated the scan.

 

“I’m not trying to kill the kid, Nat.” Tony snapped. “I’m try to fix your fuck up as Fury demanded so I don’t have to go to Auntie Tasha and Uncle Brucie’s funeral! We may not have time for a gentle wake up call and adrenaline, the most obvious way to counteract a sleeping pill, will likely set that thing off into another feeding frenzy!”

 

While the two argued and Bruce attempted to mediate, the machine slowly whirred to life. Within a minute, both Eddie and Venom were howling in pain. The sound of her baby suffering snapped Natasha’s focus back to the task at hand. She pulled a pistol from the small of her back and shot the computer’s motherboard until it shut down. Tony’s lip wobbled as he looked over the computer he had custom made for the tower so that Jarvis could interface with it as needed. It wasn’t long before he dropped into headspace and sobbed into his Uncle Brucie’s shoulder over the loss of his creation.

 

“M-my ‘puter, B-bwucie!!!” Tony sobbed as he clung to his uncle. “Aunnie mean! Bwoke it!”

 

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Bruce soothed, shooting his wife a disapproving look. “I’m sorry, little one.”

 

“Baby, take deep breaths,” Natasha called, ignoring her husband and nephew as she ripped the door open and tore the straps off of Eddie as Venom retreated into his body. “Mama’s coming to get you! It’s gonna be okay!”

 

“That was uncalled for, Natasha,” Bruce snapped as she came back out with Eddie hugged to her chest. “You forced Tony into headspace and you broke one of his creations! We vowed to never put an adoption over family!”

 

“You’ll never understand, Bruce.” Natasha quietly and viciously shot back. 

 

“I want answers and I want them now,” Steve Rogers demanded in his best captain’s voice as he entered the infirmary. “What did you do to my baby boy?!”

 

“Natasha shot his computer, Steve,” Bruce answered, rubbing his nephew’s back. “I’ve been trying to calm him down, but you know best what it’s like when his babies are broken.”

 

“C’mere, Sweetness,” Steve cooed to his Little, taking him into his arms. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll make it all better when you feel better.”

 

“Dada!” Tony wailed as he clung to his Daddy. “Aunnie meanie!”

 

“Was she being mean to you, Baby Boy?” Steve hummed, his heart beating painfully as he ran a hand through his baby’s hair and kissed his temple.

 

“Uh-huh, Dada…” Tony hiccuped, laying his head down on Daddy’s shoulder and sucking on his thumb. 

 

“Well, she’s in big trouble with Big Papa,” Steve reassured his tired little one. “Let’s get you changed into something more comfortable while Big Papa punishes your Auntie for being mean.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Steve,” Bruce apologized. 

 

“It’s okay, Bruce. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Steve assured his friend. “I hope Fury goes easy on you. After all, it sounds like Natasha’s the problem child lately.”

 

“Sadly, I think I have to agree,” Bruce confessed, looking over his wife as she sat on the floor with a shell-shocked Eddie crying quietly in her lap.

 

“What on God’s green earth happened down here?” Fury demanded in a quiet voice as he approached the two caregivers with Wade on his heels.

 

“Natasha broke one of Tony’s babies and he fell into headspace,” Steve answered, rocking his baby in his arms. “We’re getting out of here before I punish Auntie Tasha myself.”

 

“Leave it to me, Steve,” Fury growled before turning to smooth a hand through Tony’s hair. “You focus on taking care of my grandbaby. I didn’t bribe and assassinate half the media for shits and giggles. I did it to keep him safe and happy. It’s your turn, Rogers.”

 

“I know and I’ll make it right just like you did,” Steve agreed, departing as Tony whined in his arms and began to squirm. “Don’t worry, Darlin’, we’ll get you in a nice soft diaper and jammies…”

 

“Wade, go collect Peter’s new baby brother,” Fury instructed, watching the merc with the mouth spring into action. “Bruce, I reviewed the footage with Steve and Jarvis so you’re off the hook. Your wife, on the other hand, is about to experience her worst nightmares.”

 

“Please don’t hurt her,” Bruce sighed. “As much of a pain in the ass as she’s been lately, I don’t want anything to happen to her. She just got too attached to Eddie. She’s too close and I think she needs a vacation from fostering new babies.”

 

“Noted. Get outta here before it gets ugly.” Fury ordered, shoving past Bruce as Wade finally removed Eddie from Natasha’s grasp. “Natasha Romanov, you are relieved of your position as Foster Mother in the Last Chance Reformative Program. You are on leave until you have properly and thoroughly sorted your shit out. I am extremely disappointed in your recent behavior. This is not at all like you. If I catch you on the same floor as the baby known as Eddie Brock, you will no longer work for Shield. End of Story. Go before I ban your sorry ass from Shield and issue a restraining order for insubordination and dangerous behaviors.”

 

“But, Sir, I-” Natasha started to argue, her composure crumbling as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Nat, let’s go before he changes his mind,” Bruce stopped her, helping her up from the floor and ushering her out of the infirmary.

 

Fury waited until they left before turning to Wade, who was gently bouncing Eddie on his hip, “I trust that you can take it from here and get it done the right way?”

 

“I learned my lesson with Vanessa.” Wade grimly responded. “No attachments, especially early on. If they have to happen, they can wait until the job is done.”

 

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Fury nodded. “We checked in with Peter for you and he said he’s good until the end of the month- barring any unforeseen drama.”

 

“Thanks, Nick.” Wade responded, gauging the status of the soon to be infant in his arms. Eddie was exhausted and on the brink of passing out. “I’ll make sure it’s done right.”

 

==>

 

Eddie groaned when he woke for the third time. He wasn’t even in the infirmary or the nursery from before. The one that he had been left in this time was decorated in Beatrix Potter’s characters and scenery. This crib was warm brown color with blue and green patterned sheets that reminded Eddie of a tree in a small forest. All the furniture he could see from the crib was the same type of stained wood and the color scheme and theme was consistent throughout. He huffed as he realized the gag was lodged in his mouth once more. Moving his fingers, he could feel the mitts were on again. His arms and legs were bound to the crib no matter what he tried. Eddie heard the familiar sound of the diaper crinkling as he shifted. Looking up at the ceiling- which was painted like the sky on a partly cloudy day- he saw a mobile with little birds and leaves dangling from it. The note attached was what alarmed him. Even with his blurred vision- drugged once more, fucking great- he could still make out the words written on it: “Cry for Dada.” All Eddie could think of was that he wouldn’t even see another being until he finally broke and submitted to this sick reconditioning therapy that Fury enrolled him in. What kind of psychopath forced grown people to act like babies until they could be trusted to re-learn everything the way they wanted them to? 

 

Eddie was determined to make it past the one week mark without breaking. He’d been in worse situations. Okay, that was a lie. He’d never been in such a brutal, vulnerable situation before all this. There was a tiny part of Eddie that began to question whether having Venom was worth going through things like this… He felt guilty as soon as the thought fizzled. No, Venom wasn’t the problem. Eddie never explained things so that Venom could avoid getting them in trouble. That was on him, not the symbiote with limited knowledge of Earth in general. Eddie began to wonder when Venom would wake up this time…? Clearly, whatever they dosed him with usually affected Venom longer because he took the brunt of it. Eddie spent what felt like hours just wondering what Venom would say about everything since the prison meeting with Fury and the others. The wall that held a window box seat that encompassed the entire width of it seemed to dim with setting sun. Day one was coming to an end.  

 

Day two began the same as the day before. There was minor confusion that cleared up a lot slower than before. That told Eddie that Wade had to be drugging him every night while he was asleep. Apparently, the mercenary was taking pity on him because there was already an IV stuck in his arm and pole by his bed with the bag hanging from it. Nothing else had changed in the nursery besides that, though. He noticed his diaper was still dry, which would’ve been a relief if it weren’t for the fact that he was certain that Wade waited until he was asleep to do anything. After all, that’s what Natasha had said the caregivers for the program were instructed to do. He let his thoughts wander again until he found himself dozing on and off. The last time he woke up, it was getting dark outside. He stretched as best he could and relaxed into the body-conforming mattress. He was certainly on the sleep schedule of a baby at this point, but there was no fighting that when he was left alone and strapped to a crib twenty four-seven. 

 

The next two days passed in the same way. He kept a catalogue of whether anything had changed. It was on the fourth day that he began to struggle with controlling his bladder. Between the drugs and having legitimately no other option for a bathroom break, he found it was easier to pee and get it over with. It was a relieving feeling for his bladder, but his mind felt the shame and discomfort the whole time. He also became more emotional with all the time he spent alone. He would spiral into thoughts or fitful dreams of being abandoned by the few people he cared about and often wake up to tears streaming down his face. As much as he hated to admit it, the pacifier was becoming a very soothing exercise. Something about focusing on the feel, the taste, and the movement of it helped to take his mind off thoughts that nearly drove him mad. He could see why this program was so highly regarded by Shield after noting the changes in himself after only four days of isolation. 

 

It was on the fifth day that things began to change. Eddie found it was harder to see and to move. He’d been given a muscle relaxer if he had to guess. His diaper was being soaked without him thinking about it and he automatically defaulted to to sucking on his binky to divert his thoughts from the embarrassment and discomfort. He spent most of his day in and out of a hazy dozing state, watching the world outside through bars of his crib and the window. It wasn’t until the drugs started to slowly filter out of his system that he heard the one thing that he’d been waiting to hear for nearly a week now.

 

_ Eddie, where are we? _

 

Eddie immediately burst into tears, just as he had the day he found out that Venom wasn’t dead but hibernating. His head lolled to the side as he looked out the window and wished he could spit out his precious paci just long enough to answer Venom. But his binky couldn’t be taken out so he couldn’t answer properly. He wasn’t even sure that he’d be able to stop crying long enough to explain all that had happened and been revealed about their situation. Eddie’s thoughts practically screamed from Venom to just pick his brain since he couldn’t respond. After what felt like an hour to the nearly infantile reporter, Venom finally spoke up again.

 

_ I see. The others have forced our hands. This muscle relaxer and sedative prevents me from interfering. Fury’s scientists have certainly been thorough to be able to create a cocktail of drugs to inhibit my ability to take over or influence you. Just conversing with you is quite tiring.  _

 

Eddie cried harder knowing that even Venom couldn’t help him escape. He began to spiral thinking about all the things that could’ve changed his life for the better. If he had only explained the rules for killing discreetly and carefully, they never would’ve been sent to prison. If Venom had burned up in the fire, he never would’ve had to think about establishing guidelines to kill. If he had just told Venom to fuck off and exposed Drake his way, then he never would’ve had to fight Drake to the death. If he would’ve listened to Annie, he never would’ve gotten involved with Drake. The more he thought, the further back he went until he was back at the moment that changed his future without his consent or knowledge. If Mommy hadn’t died when he was born, then none of the bad stuff would have ever happened and he could’ve had a happy family with just him, Mommy, and Daddy.

 

_ Eddie, I don’t like this. You’re upset and it’s upsetting me. Please don’t cry… I’m not used to these emotions.  _

 

When Eddie didn’t answer, but added volume to his tears, Venom decided he had to try something to help his friend. He hated seeing him cry. It was like the newborn that he ate in the slums. He just wanted it to stop crying. He hadn’t wanted to eat it, but there were times when food was scarce and symbiotes ate their own young. In the rough neighborhood of the city that night, he had mistakenly eaten the human offspring’s mother and there was really no merciful choice other than to eat it based on Venom’s species’ way of doing things. Eddie was different, though. Venom could never intentionally kill or hurt him. They had bonded on so many levels that the symbiote knew it would do whatever it could to make Eddie healthy and happy. With his waning strength, he materialized outside of Eddie and managed to gnaw through the restraints holding Eddie’s hands and feet down. Eddie was beside himself as he wet the diaper around his waist for the third time that day that he didn’t even notice what Venom was doing.

 

“There, you’re free to move as you please,” Venom informed his friend and host. The symbiote was too exhausted to even retract back inside his host so he laid his head on the mattress next to Eddie’s chest. “It may be in our best interest to submit to that raisin thing that’s been assigned to you at some point soon. Between the drugs and the lack of substantial food, we’re too weak.”

 

In response, Eddie rolled onto his side- his heavily soaked diaper squishing and shifting unpleasantly with him-  and hugged Venom’s head to his chest like a stuffed animal, taking care to make sure that Venom faced the ceiling so he could breathe. He cried harder for a good twenty minutes before he was oddly soothed by Venom’s tongue caressing the arm that was exposed for the IV needle. He thought about Venom’s advice and what the symbiote had just done for him. He had to allow Wade to progress him through the program if things were ever going to go back to any sort of normal for them. 

 

“‘Kay, ‘Enum,” Eddie sniffled, nuzzling the temperate and smooth almost slime-like top of his companion’s head. He took a couple deep breaths and then called out, “DADA!”

 

They didn’t hear or see anything, even facing towards the window as they were. They waited a bit longer and Venom blinked slower, worrying Eddie. He had thought he was out of tears by now, but the scary thought that Venom would go back to sleep and he’d be all alone again was too much. Within a couple minutes, he was crying again.

 

“DADA!” Eddie wailed, hoping someone would come before Venom could melt back into him. “DADA, P’EASE!!!”

 

The door burst open a minute later and Wade rushed over to the crib, panting, “You surprised me, Little Man, I thought you wouldn’t make a peep until the end of the week.”

 

“Dada…” Eddie sniffled, gently tightening his grip on Venom and decided to modify his speech to be more clear despite the pacifier lodged in his mouth. “ ‘Enum go… No…”

 

“Mmmm… Ehem,” Wade cleared his throat, surprised by the inky, sharp-toothed head being clutched to the new baby’s chest. “Jarvis, you took pictures of this, right?”

 

“Indeed,” The AI responded. “I already sent them off to the director, Agent Coulson and Captain Rogers.”

 

“I’m sure this will be cute at some point when I get over the sight of what’s pretty much a disembodied head being clutched to a baby’s chest,” Wade remarked, the shock still wearing off as he started to pull down the side of the crib to get access to his charge. “Right, Jarvis?”

 

“I’m sure you will, Master Wilson,” Jarvis agreed. 

 

“Okay, Pumpkin, let’s get rid of the IV and change your diaper,” Wade narrated as he shifted Eddie onto his back and knelt one knee on the mattress. He pulled an on-the-go first aid kit from the pocket of his cargo shorts and readied what he needed-including a syringe with a fresh dose of muscle relaxer. “Alright, baby boy, can you show Dada the arm with the poky thing in it?”

 

Eddie shook his head. He didn’t like the thought of it coming out. What if this was just a trick and Wade was gonna unhook him and leave alone for days on end again?

 

“Eddie, we don’t have a choice,” Venom reminded him. “If you want us to thrive, the only way is to obey the rules of the program or we’ll remain weak, restrained and alone in this room.” 

 

“Nooo!” Eddie whined.

 

“Then let the nice man take that needle from your arm.” Venom insisted, using his tongue once more to comfort Eddie since he couldn’t conjure up a hand from the man’s body.

 

“Do symbiotes bathe like cats?” Wade interjected, not sure what the fuck he was witnessing.

 

“I am unable to completely remove myself from him and I can’t materialize enough of myself to make a hand so I use my tongue.” Venom explained. “Eddie, give him your arm, please.”

 

With a whimper, Eddie unwrapped one arm from around Venom’s head and allowed Wade to grab it. The caregiver cut off the IV drip and removed the tube from the needle. He then used the syringe to pump another dose of muscle relaxer into his baby’s veins before removing the needle and putting a band-aid with happy little clouds over the spot where the needle had been. Eddie wrapped his arm back around Venom’s head and started to doze as the symbiote resumed stroking the bare arm with its tongue. 

 

“You care a lot about him, huh?” Wade prompted, throwing out the trash and grabbing the changing supplies he’d need to clean his baby up. 

 

“He is my host and my only friend in all the known universe.” Venom admitted with a sigh that almost sounded more like a growl. “I refuse to allow him to suffer.”

 

“I understand. That’s what being a parent is- even a parent of a regressed adult.” Wade assured the symbiote as he took his time so as to be especially gentle with his new baby. “Most of us Foster parents don’t get to keep the ones we re-raise, but every now and then one is special and they stay forever.”

 

“Do you believe that Eddie is one that will stay forever?” Venom prompted.

 

“Maybe,” Wade admitted, thoroughly cleaning Eddie’s privates and bum before powdering and taping him into a fresh diaper. “He’s kind like Peter. He’s never really known the kind of home that he should have, but this is his second chance if he takes it. Peter doesn’t stay regressed, but he likes to come back home for Daddy and Baby time whenever he can. I think Eddie might enjoy this and choose to do the same…”

 

“You hesitate. Why?” 

 

“Because though I’m glad to have a newborn in the nursery again, I think Fury made a mistake in taking him away from Natasha.” Wade confessed with a sigh as he redressed Eddie from the waist down. “I think Natasha did bond with him and from what Jarvis has told me of his file, he needs a Mommy more than a good Daddy.”

 

“Eddie told me his mother perished at his birth,” Venom supplied. “I know a bit of what that’s like.”

 

“Did your mom not survive birthing you?” Wade questioned, genuinely curious. 

 

“Not exactly,” Venom hesitated. “Many young symbiotes eat their mothers upon birth. With our constant struggle to cohabitate without consuming our hosts, we often resort to cannibalism to sustain ourselves.”

 

“That’s pretty grim,” Wade commented, looking uncomfortable with the thought. “I just want Eddie to be happy and have fun. I’m gonna try talking Fury into ending Natasha’s punishment early for Eddie’s sake. The man’s all about results and Natasha will be able to get Eddie to his full potential.”

 

“Once he’s there and if he does require frequent regressions, who is he more likely to return to?” Venom posed, curious about the future of his human.

 

“I think that once he gets what he need from Natasha, he’ll be more likely to spend time with me or Rogers.” Wade suggested, rubbing soothing circles over Eddie’s tummy. “I think Rogers is less likely because he’s never had another baby since the incident with the last one.”

 

“What do you mean?” Venom pushed.

 

“Some time back, after the great Steve Rogers finally succeeded at getting Tony to complete the program, he was given another baby to re-raise. The baby girl was a manipulative sociopath. She knew how the program worked and she played him every step of the way.” Wade elaborated, shaking his head at the memory.

 

“Explain further.” 

 

“Maybe another time, little ink monster.” Wade grinned, noticing the small tells that Venom was actually starting to get tired. “Sleep well, Little Ones. We’ll start getting into the fun stuff when you wake up tomorrow.”

 

With that, Venom seeped back into Eddie and the two slept cradled in the mercenary’s arms for a couple hours before they were tucked into the crib for the night. Wade smirked and stifled a chuckle as he saw the chewed through restraints in the crib. Those two were going to get into plenty of trouble together as they grew up. He kissed Eddie’s forehead and pulled up the side of the crib before he snuck out of the nursery and went to call his oldest baby before his bedtime.


	4. Daddy Snuggles and Story Time

When Eddie woke up the next morning, day six of the official start to the program, he felt giddy when he realized he could move. Apparently, Dada- No, Wade- trusted him now. As he clumsily stretched, he huffed in annoyance. Eddie wasn’t trusted enough to not get drugged every night. Staring out the window once more, he tried to recall the events from the day before. He remembered being bored and tired. He had realized he lost his bladder control at that point, which had upset him. He had watched out the window for a time and dozed on and off. Then he… He talked to Venom yesterday! Eddie smiled to himself as he remembered Venom freeing him from his restraints. The baby blushed as he remembered the symbiote be cuddled in his arms like a stuffed animal while he cried and wet himself. The blush deepened when he recalled that Venom had pretty much licked his arm to soothe him and convinced him to summon Wade- No, that sounded wrong, Dada- the way that the note- which was now gone from the mobile- had instructed by crying and calling for Dada. Eddie struggled to move his body with the lethargy the drugs left him experiencing. His smile quickly turned to panic as he frantically sucked on his binky with his eyes burning. Venom wasn’t in the crib with him like he had been yesterday. Without thinking, Eddie burst into tears and made his misery known with wails to wake the dead.

 

“Dada!” Eddie screeched, using his arms and legs to frantically search the crib for any sign of his friend. He looked just like a new baby trying gain control over his limbs with his legs kicking sporadically and his arms barely responding to his demands to move them.

 

“Good Morning, Pumpkin,” Wade greeted cheerily as he hurried into the nursery and over to the crib. “What’s got your diaper all tied up in knots, huh?”

 

Now that Eddie remembered he was still wearing one, he noticed it was wet and starting feel unpleasant. He attempted to reach towards Dada in a request to get out of the crib for once. Dada smiled warmly at him and unlatched the side of the crib, pulling it down and under.

 

“Okay, Pumpkin, let’s change your diaper and you can tell Dada all about it,” Wade soothed, carefully hoisting Eddie up on to his hip and supporting the baby’s head. “There we go. That’s better, huh, baby?”

 

Eddie sniffled and sucked on his pacifier. This wasn’t so bad. He missed snuggling up to someone. Even if this wasn’t his ideal situation to be in, it was better than being eyed like a cheap whore in the prison. He fisted his hands in Daddy’s shirt as the man began to sway. The movement helped to melt away the tension he’d been holding in his body.

 

“Daddy’s sweet boy,” Wade cooed, carrying Eddie to the changing table and laying him on top. “Tell Daddy what got you so sad this morning, Sweetheart.”

 

“ ‘Enum!” Eddie hiccuped, trying and failing to fight the tears.

“It’s okay, sweet boy,” Wade reassured him, rubbing his baby’s tummy as the little one sucked on pacifier. “Venom’s just sleeping in, Baby. He’s just extra tired today. I bet he’ll wake up and come out to see you by the time we go have breakfast. Can you let him sleep until we go eat?”

 

Eddie thought about it and then nodded. Yeah, he could wait if it meant Venom would come out to see him like yesterday.

 

“There’s Daddy’s sweet boy,” Wade cheered, fastening the strap across Eddie’s belly and leaning in to kiss his baby’s forehead. “Let’s get your diapy changed and get you in a clean outfit. Maybe we’ll take a bubble bath later. Would that be fun for my baby boy, huh?”

 

Eddie nodded, a smile forming behind his paci. Daddy was really good at taking care of him. He was kinda glad that Venom convinced him to go along with everything. Granted, he wasn’t a huge fan of wetting his own pants- even if this particular pair was meant for that- but otherwise it wasn’t so bad. He liked the hugs and caressing. The nursery was really nice and the crib’s mattress was super comfy. Eddie was brought out of his thoughts once his diaper- which was super soft and fluffy and comfy- and clothes were changed. Daddy was reaching towards Eddie’s face. He tilted his head to the side as his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. What was Daddy doing? The next thing he knew, Daddy had his paci and the strap around it in his hands and looked like he was trying to take it apart… Eddie felt an unpleasant feeling in his tummy and his lip wobbled as he wondered if he’d been bad and made Daddy take away his soother. He let the water works flow and his sobs were no longer muffled.

 

“I know, sweet boy,” Wade cooed, a sympathetic frown on his face. “Daddy doesn’t think you need the strap anymore, though. I’m gonna make the strap go bye-bye and put a little leash on it so you don’t lose it. It’s gonna be okay. Daddy will give it back, promise.”

 

Eddie kept up the fuss until Daddy gave his paci back, clipping it to his romper as promised. He found himself being lifted into Daddy’s arms and carried out of the nursery as he sniffled and hiccuped. Daddy rubbed his back and kissed his temple while Eddie catalogued his surroundings. It was a pretty luxurious place. There were at least four bedrooms (including the nursery) and one unattached bathroom placed along a hallway that held pictures of Daddy with a different baby doing different things in each one. The picture at the end of the hall closest to the rest of the suite was of Eddie snuggling with Venom’s head.

 

“Dada,” Eddie prompted, attempting to point at the picture as they walked by.

 

“That’s you and your little ink monster, isn’t it, Baby Boy?” Wade smiled, kissing Eddie’s forehead. “Daddy had Jarvis help him with that picture. Daddy likes having pictures from his baby’s first day at home.”

 

Eddie thought about Daddy’s words. He guessed it made sense. After all, that was the first day that Eddie accepted that he was with Daddy and Venom and had to be a good boy for them. He watched the living room pass by as they went into the kitchen. There was a high chair that was the perfect size for him waiting by the table. He whined as Daddy tucked him into the high chair, strapping him in and clicking a plastic tray into place over his lap. Daddy kissed his cheek and set a few toys on the tray consisting of a set of teething keys, a couple plush blocks and a rattle.

 

“Okay, Baby,” Wade spoke up. “Daddy’s gonna let you play while he makes breakfast. Do you like scrambled eggs, bacon, and oatmeal? Daddy bought apple and cinnamon oatmeal so it wouldn’t taste so bland.”

 

Eddie nodded and watched Daddy as he started pulling out pots and pans and ingredients to make everything. He startled a  bit as Daddy turned on music that started out with a heavy beat where the singer was about to cuss before the station was changed and a softer song started playing. Daddy began to sing along with the song, which made Eddie chuckle because Daddy didn’t look like he usually liked soft music.

 

“Are you laughing at Daddy?” Wade questioned with mock incredulity as he came over to Eddie. “Daddy’s gonna give you something to laugh about.”

 

Eddie looked Daddy with concern. What was that supposed to mean? What was he-? Eddie got his answer as he burst into a fit of laughter as Daddy tickled his feet and he weakly tried to kick his hands away. Finally, Daddy had mercy, a big goofy smile on his face, and instead began to smother Eddie with kisses all over his face. When Daddy was finally done, Eddie was practically out of breath.

 

“You’re such a silly baby,” Wade chuckled, lightly tapping a finger to Eddie’s nose. “Daddy’s gotta make breakfast so play nice, Sweetheart.”

 

With that, Daddy returned to his task of making breakfast. The water was boiling for the oatmeal and the pans were ready for the bacon and eggs to be tossed in. Eddie was distracted by the lack of his soother in his mouth. He didn’t much care for that and he let Daddy know by fussing about it.

 

“Did you lose your binky, Sweet boy?” Wade asked, glancing at Eddie between laying strips of bacon in the skillet. “Why don’t you try your keys, huh? Daddy had them in the freezer so they should be nice and cold. Daddy’ll get your binky once everything’s situated and he washes his hands.”

 

Eddie frowned at that, but supposed that it wasn’t the worst thing. After all, he did love popsicles and even though this one wouldn’t be edible, he was sure the cold would feel good after all the crying this morning. Eddie never realized how much babies cried until he was forced to be one again. Clumsily, he reached for the mostly frozen keys with his right hand. It took a few tries with his spastic movements, but eventually he got a hold of them and managed to stick one in his mouth as he leaned back in his high chair. Daddy was right. The keys did feel nice and cold, though they weren’t as comfortable to suck on with their odd shapes. Eddie startled a bit as his stomach growled and ended up dropping his keys. Daddy turned around, curious about the sound, to find Eddie pouting and longingly staring at the keys he’d dropped.

 

“Aw, Sweet Pea, did your tummy scare you?” Wade hummed, fighting a smile. Once Eddie and Venom were in a more vulnerable state, they really were very precious. “It’s okay Daddy can get your paci now and then we’ll be ready to eat in a minute.”

 

Eddie pouted some more as Daddy slipped his paci in his mouth and kissed his cheek again. He was starting to like these kisses Daddy was so fond of giving. He entertained himself with stacking and smooshing the blocks on his high chair tray. As the food cooked, he could smell the bacon, eggs and subtle hints of the apple cinnamon oatmeal. Eddie practically squealed with delight when the smells woke Venom up and lured him outside of his host’s body.

 

“What’s got you so excited, Sweet Boy?” Wade chuckled, taking a minute while he waited for the food to finish cooking to look over at his baby. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Care to join us for breakfast, Little Ink Monster?”

 

“Why do you call me ink monster?” Venom inquired, looking rather perplexed as he allowed Eddie to snuggle with his head.

 

“It’s just an affectionate nickname,” Wade shrugged, turning all the burners on the stove off. “Just like how I call Eddie ‘Sweetheart’ or my ‘Sweet Boy.’ It’s a way to show that I feel fond of you, that I love you.”

 

“Love me?” Venom pressed, uncertain of how he felt about that.

 

“Yeah, Inky. I love you both. You’re my babies.” Wade laughed, starting to dish out the food. “Do you eat on your own or just like… feed from Eddie…?”

 

“I can eat independently of Eddie, but this isn’t a typical situation for us,” Venom answered. “Normally I have to stay hidden to avoid calling attention to us. However, this little home you’ve made allows me to be out and my presence outside of Eddie is the primary comfort keeping him calm.”

 

“Well, I guess it’s up to you then,” Wade submitted. “Do you wanna eat or do you want to just get your nutrients from Eddie?”

 

“I would like to eat,” Venom decided, curious about the taste of human cuisine.

 

“Alrighty, Munchkins, time for breakfast,” Wade announced, bringing over three plates of food and setting them on the kitchen table. “This is how we’re gonna do this, Little Ones. Daddy’s gonna feed you two and then we’ll have our baba’s, okay?”

“What.” Venom demanded, unsure of what the fuck a ‘baba’ was supposed to be and why they were being fed by another person. 

 

“You’re adorable,” Wade teased, booping the spot where he assumed Venom’s nose or nostrils should be. “Baba is baby-talk for a bottle. It’s like a cup with a lid and a special spout that babies use. Parent’s use baby-talk to relate to their children and to help them understand what’s being said. If a baby calls their bottle a baba, the parents usually will as well to help their baby understand what they mean. And I’m feeding you because it helps you two feel little and helpless like a baby.”

 

“I don’t have a choice in this, do I?” Venom frowned.

 

“Afraid not, Inky Baby,” Wade confirmed. “Okay, Sweets, are you hungry?”

 

Eddie grinned behind paci and nuzzled Venom. He was so hung up on having his friend awake and with him that he missed the whole conversation. He flinched back when Daddy took his paci out. Looking between his paci and Daddy with pout, he wondered what was going on. 

 

“Don’t cry, Pumpkin,” Wade soothed, using a toddler fork to spear a bite of eggs and hold it up for Eddie to eat. “Daddy’s trying to get some food in your tummy. Can you take a bite for Daddy?”

 

Eddie huffed, but opened up and ate the bite of eggs. He loved his paci, but food was amazing. He perked up as he chewed and swallowed, humming happily at the taste. Daddy was a good cook.

 

“Your turn, Inky Baby,” Wade grinned repeating the process for Venom, who glared at him while begrudgingly taking the offered food from the fork as he rested on Eddie’s tray. “Num, num num!”

 

“You disgust me sometimes,” Venom bluntly responded.

 

“No mean words, Little Mister, or you’ll be eating breakfast last.” Wade warned, feeding Eddie a bite of bacon. “Are you gonna be nice and behave?”

 

“Yes.” Venom huffed.

 

“Yes, who?” Wade prompted.

 

“You’re really going to make me say it aren’t you?” 

 

“Yep.”

 

“Yes, Daddy.” Venom frowned, feeling very uncomfortable.

 

“There’s my sweet Little Ink Monster,” Wade praised, feeding Venom a strip of bacon.

 

“That is delicious. What is it?” Venom hummed.

 

“Bacon. So meat from a pig,” Wade explained, grinning as he fed Eddie another bite, which made the baby coo happily for him. “Sweet Boy! You’re eating so well for Daddy!”

 

The meal continued on like that until it was time for the oatmeal. Wade swapped the fork for a spoon and started with Eddie as he had before.

 

“Yummy, huh, Baby?” Wade commented as Eddie chewed and swallowed. “Just like before, Little Ink Monster.”

 

Venom opened up and accepted the bite, gagging at the taste and texture. He spit the oatmeal out and frowned at the spot where it landed on the floor.

 

“What on Earth is that?” Venom asked, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

 

“Oatmeal with apples and cinnamon.” Wade answered. “I think you just need to get used to it. You’ve spent so much time only eating meat when you’re outside of Eddie that you haven’t gotten a taste for anything else.” 

 

“I think I like it that way,” Venom disagreed.

 

“Well, that’s too bad because you’re finishing the oatmeal.” Wade insisted, his attention drawn back to Eddie, who was starting to fuss at being left out. “I’m sorry, Sweet Pea. Daddy will get you another bite.”

 

Eddie continued to happily consume his breakfast while watching as Venom struggled to get through his oatmeal. He wondered why Venom was making faces like that. After awhile, Eddie couldn’t help but giggle at Venom’s expressions. That caught both of their attentions.

 

“Is our Little Ink Monster making funny faces, Baby Boy?” Wade joked, smiling at his giggly baby. “Alright, Inky, one more bite, Sweets.”

 

Venom begrudgingly ate the last bite and stuck his tongue out once more. Oatmeal was definitely not on his list of enjoyable human cuisine. 

 

“Alright, Little Ones, play nicely while Daddy finishes up and makes your babas,” Wade instructed slipping Eddie’s paci back in his mouth and kissing the baby’s forehead before giving Venom a kiss on the top of his head as well.

“What was that?” Venom demanded, his eyes narrowing as he watched Wade eat.

 

“What was what?” Wade innocently clarified as he ate, glancing over to see Eddie trying to stack a fabric block on Venom’s head. 

 

“That thing you did to my head.” Venom flatly responded.

 

“The kiss to your head?” Wade assumed, chucking at the symbiote. “A kiss is a type of physical affection that we use to comfort the ones we care about, like family members.”

 

Venom spent the rest of their time in the high chair trying to sort out everything he’d learned thus far about humans. Meanwhile, Eddie amused himself with the blocks until they both fell from the high chair’s tray after sliding off Venom’s head one too many times. He was getting bored faster now that Daddy had finished eating and was in the process of making bottles for them- two chocolate and two vanilla in case one of his boys didn’t like what they were given. Eddie grabbed a hold of the rattle and looked it over. It looked pretty boring. It was clear with little colorful plastic beads inside and the handle was soft. Shaking it, he was a little more intrigued as the colors shimmered a bit with the change in lighting as they moved and the sound was like a maraca. 

 

“You’re getting bored, huh, Baby?” Wade inquired, gathering the bottles and running them to the living room to set up their snuggle space.

 

Eddie looked around the kitchen and frowned when he saw Daddy was gone. Letting the rattle drop to the floor, he hugged Venom to his chest and whimpered. He didn’t want to be alone anymore.

 

“ ‘Enum…” Eddie whimpered, nuzzling his friend. “Dada…”

 

“He stepped into the other room, Eddie.” Venom assured his human. “He’ll be back.”

 

“Dada…?” Eddie called, wanting him right then and there as a few tears fell down his face.

 

“Don’t cry, Sweets,” Wade soothed as he came back and started to pull Eddie from the high chair. “Daddy’s here and so’s Little Inky.”

 

Wade rocked his baby in his arms and kissed both babies’ heads before relocating to the living room. He got them comfortable and had Jarvis turn on some soft instrumentals. Once Eddie and Venom were comfortable and calm, Wade grabbed the chocolate ensure bottles and offered them to his little ones. Venom happily took to the drink after altering his approach as to not puncture the nipple. Eddie took one sip and spat out the nipple of his own bottle, fussing at the taste.

 

“Not a fan of the chocolate one, Sweet Pea?” Wade noted, swapping for the vanilla one he had made as a backup. “That better, Honey?”

 

Eddie took to the vanilla flavored bottle much quicker and happily snuggled against Daddy while continuing to hug Venom close. Venom was finished in what had to be record time. The symbiote really liked chocolate, Wade noted. 

 

“Tell us about the Captain’s little girl.” Venom demanded, looking up at Wade.

 

“Manners, Munchkin,” Wade reminded him.

 

“Fine,” Venom sighed. “Please tell us about her.”

 

“Thank you, Little one,” Wade responded, kissing Venom’s head and then Eddie’s. “I suppose baba time is the best time for stories so you two can nap with Daddy…”

 

<== 

 

Steve woke bright and early as usual and made use of the treadmill in recreational room on his floor. He had about an hour before Tony would wake up. Going through his morning routine, he ran for a half hour on the treadmill while watching the news, showered, got dressed, made a cup of coffee, and cooked a small breakfast of eggs and oatmeal with wild berries mixed in. By the time Steve had Tony’s bottle in the warmer, the sounds of his baby waking sounded through the kitchen, courtesy of Jarvis. From the sniffles and hiccups, it sounded like Tony had a nightmare before waking. Steve made his way to the nursery and lifted his baby boy out of the crib for some snuggles before getting his diaper changed. 

 

“It’s okay, Sweetness, Daddy’s here,” Steve hummed, rubbing Tony’s back and kissing his cheek. “Did you have a bad dream?”

 

Tony nodded and accepted his paci from Daddy before being laid down on the changing table. Daddy was quick but gentle with changing his diaper and dressing him in a romper and sweatpants with grip socks for the day. Tony smiled as Daddy showered him with kisses and hoisted him back onto his hip. They went through breakfast as usual with Tony making a mess of himself as Daddy fed him. After that, it was time for a bottle and a movie. They only made it halfway through the movie before Steve received a call. Tony perked up at the sound of Daddy’s phone going off. It was rare, but sometimes, Daddy had people to talk to or things to do. Usually, Daddy was able to stay with Tony or at least take him along so he wasn’t too worried.

 

“Hello, you’ve reached Steve,” Daddy answered the phone. “Oh, Hi, Director… Yeah, he’s doing fine. We’re watching Wall-E at the moment. How’re things with the media?... That sounds like a bit much, but I’m sure it was necessary… Well, I’m glad they’ve agreed to redact their prior statements. Maybe we can finally keep the Program under wraps… Right, right… Okay. What assignment were you thinking of because you know that I can’t leave Tony… I know, I know… You want me to do what?... Are you sure that’s a good idea?... No, I’m not doubting that people can change, but she’s as unstable as it gets since- … I understand that. I’m just saying maybe we should make sure she can go through the first phase before we put her around any other babies… No, Sir, I’m not questioning your judgement… Okay, I understand… I’ll talk to him and we’ll give it a try, but she’s out of here at the first sign of trouble. Tony’s been through enough already- including the program… Alright. Goodbye, Director.”

 

Daddy sighed, making Tony look up at him. He smiled at his baby and tapped his nose, making Tony go cross-eyed and devolve into a fit of giggles. Daddy could just barely make out a smile around Tony’s paci. 

 

“Big Papa said he’s got a new friend for you to meet since he needs Daddy’s help looking after her.” Steve told his baby boy. “Would you like a friend to play with?”

 

Tony thought about it, frowning at the thought of sharing Daddy. At the same time, the last baby that stayed with them for a day or two before going to their new home was fun to play with. Tony smiled and nodded. Maybe a new friend that stayed longer would be more fun. 

 

“They’ll be dropping her off tonight and you’ll meet her when she’s ready,” Daddy promised, blowing raspberries against Tony’s cheek, making the baby giggle. “Cutie pie.”

 

They had a lazy day on Steve’s floor as they kept to Baby Tony’s routine. After lunch, there was playtime, then dinner, bath, bottle, stories and snuggles, and finally bedtime. Tony was content as Daddy tucked him in with kisses and promises of sweet dreams. The next day, Tony woke up happier and more giggly than normal. He snuggled, played, and ate as much his tummy would allow. On top of all that, he didn’t once fuss about nap time. Steve was impressed by his baby’s temperament, despite knowing that Daddy would have to be shared with another baby- a baby girl, no less. Steve hadn’t even entered the baby girl’s nursery yet. She had yet to cry for him so protocol said she was to be left alone. The rest of the day passed quickly and before Steve knew it, he was tucking his precious baby boy into bed for the night. 

 

It was that same night that Steve awoke to the baby girl wailing for Dada. Tony, thankfully, was not a light sleeper and even if he had been, he was sure Jarvis would engage the ‘Night Night Baby’ protocol to keep Tony from being disturbed by anything that didn’t threaten the baby’s life. Steve rushed into the girl’s nursery and had to take a deep breath. After all the time that had passed since he last dealt with the Scarlet Witch, he had managed to disassociate the face and the person. Someone who looked so young and innocent shouldn’t be so deceitful and cruel. He forced himself forward and tried to pretend she was just some random girl forced into the program as her last chance. 

 

“Hey there, Baby Girl,” Steve cooed, undoing her bonds and lifting her out of the crib. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Wanda Maximoff tearfully nodded, clinging to him as best she could. He was already eating it up. He forgave too easily. The man was a marshmallow.

 

“It’s okay, Sweetie,” Steve murmured, carrying the soaked baby girl to the changing table. “Let’s get you in a fresh diapy and then we’ll have a baba before we get some rest. You’ll meet your new friend tomorrow when you both wake up.”

 

Steve was quick and clinical with the change before hoisting her back in his arms. He carried her out to the kitchen and heated a meal replacement drink in a bottle for her. After settling in the living room, he fed her the bottle as he hummed a song that had been stuck in his head from earlier in the day. He felt himself relax as they locked eyes. She didn’t look like the monster she’d acted like in Sokovia… She had been very cuddly and sweet so far. It wasn’t hard to think that maybe Wanda wanted to be reborn so she could start over and scrub the record clean by doing more good than harm…

 

That was his first mistake. His second was relaxing around her. She was excellent at playing the sweet and innocent baby girl. She cried for her new Daddy over everything from wet diapers to bad dreams to needing a nap or wanting to be fed. Steve was convinced that she was enjoying the program- it was extremely rare, but some people did. Tony wasn’t so sure. There was something about the way she acted that made him uncomfortable. Still, he tried his best to befriend her and make his Daddy happy. It was a day when she had progressed to late toddlerhood that her true colors came out. 

 

It had taken a month to get there, but she was at the point where she was finally in pull-ups, allowed to walk on her own, and speak in small sentences. Tony hadn’t progressed in nearly three months, but Tony had confessed before they started that he had a feeling it would take him longer to progress than most. Steve was perfectly okay with the slow progress. He could tell Tony was happy just being a baby and having a Daddy to love and care for him. Of course, with being in infanthood, he needed more attention and care than Wanda. Unfortunately, Steve’s supposed sweet little strawberry baby could put a lime to shame with her sourness. 

 

Steve had left the little ones to play while he made dinner. They had been getting along well so he figured they would be alright with intermittent supervision. Wanda was in her t-shirt and pull-up and Tony his diaper and romper, both on the blanket spread over the living room floor. Tony laid on his tummy and she sat upright. The two of them were building a tower out of wooden blocks. Steve came in to check on them and praised their handiwork before returning to the kitchen. When the tower a bit taller than Wanda could reach, she knocked it down with a hard swat so they’d topple onto Tony. The baby wailed as a corner of a block cut open his forehead. Steve came rushing out and hoisted his baby into arms and looked over at the little girl for answers.

 

“What happened, Wanda?” Steve asked, rubbing the baby’s back.

 

“We tried to knock it all down and they fell on him and hurt him,” Wanda cried. “It was scary, Daddy!”

 

“Let’s go see Uncle Brucie,” Steve sighed, taking Wanda’s hand and guiding her towards the elevator.

 

Whenever Steve wasn’t looking, she smirked at the baby and stuck her tongue out. Once Tony had recovered from the ordeal, he tried to befriend her once more as she progressed rather quickly to the teen stage. It was the incident that happened that day that made Steve swear off all other babies, especially from the program, and sent Wanda to the most inhumane mental hospital where she remains heavily drugged until the day she dies to prevent her from hurting anyone else.

 

==>

 

“And that’s why Steve wouldn’t even agree to you two being under his care,” Wade wrapped up as he saw his babies growing sleepy after the long story. “Nap time for my sweet baby boys.”

 

“Daddy, you left out the most important part…” Venom murmured, half asleep and unaware that he was nearly regressing in the moment.

 

“What’s that, Inky Baby?” Wade cooed, smiling softly at the symbiote.

 

“What Wanda did to get locked up,” Venom insisted.

 

“She nearly killed Baby Tony,” Wade somberly explained, holding his own babies closer. “She almost short circuited the powerful magnet over his heart that was keeping some very sharp pieces of metal from dicing it up. Steve just barely made it in time to stop her. They say that once Tony was in surgery, Steve beat her bloody- nearly to death- and she just laughed through it all as she told him how she had played him from the start. They took her away and sentenced her to life in a mental institution.”

 

“Dada…” Eddie whimpered, clinging to Venom. “Scawy, Dada…”

 

“It’s okay, Pumpkin.” Wade assured him, rocking his boys as he held them close. “Daddy would never let anyone around his babies unless he’d known them for a long, long time and trusted them with his soul. Daddy will never let anyone hurt either of you. I love you, Eddie, and I love you, Venom. Daddy loves you both.”

 

“We love you too, Daddy,” Venom responded, nuzzling against Wade’s chest. It felt nice to be cared for. No one had ever loved him or even thought well enough of him to say he was worth protecting. As he and Eddie drifted off to dreamland, Venom couldn’t help but wonder if he should try regressing himself… 


	5. Venom and the Nightmares Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *****WARNING: CALL BACK TO GRAPHIC DEATHS FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER!!! SKIP THE FIRST PARAGRAPH IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO VIOLENCE!!!****

As Venom melted back into Eddie for nap time with Daddy, he began to do something that he hadn’t done in a long time. Venom began to dream. It all started with Venom hurtling towards the Earth in glass case. It was beautiful seeing the masses of crystal blue and lively green all broken up by wispy whites. The glass case cracked open when he crashed to Earth. Venom crawled out of it and solidified to stand on two legs like a human he spied in the streets. The neighborhood was a bad one. There was yelling and shooting and sirens everywhere as the symbiote walked towards the streets from a dark alley. He felt a primal hunger pierce through him like a screeching tire to an eardrum. It was time to feed. He ate gangsters, cheap hookers, handicapped elderly humans, and a tired young woman exiting a beat up sedan. Once he consumed the last part of the woman, he heard it. There was shrill cry sounding from the car. He crouched with one hand on top of the car and used the other to rip the door off. He pulled a baby from a car seat and studied it before biting its head off and swallowing all parts at once.

 

Venom jolted out of Eddie completely. His mass forming a humanesque figure as he screamed and curled into himself. He’d never had such complete control over his form before. He wasn’t sure how long he could last outside of Eddie. It was terrifying, confusing and amazing all at once. He looked around the living room to see Daddy tucking a sobbing Eddie into what looked like a mesh crib nearby.

 

“Daddy…” Venom called, uncertain of anything. Since the fire, his overall mass was depleted. Though he could regenerate, it was at a frustratingly slow pace. He was about the size of an elementary school kid.

 

“It’s okay, Baby Inks,” Wade soothed, hoisting Venom into his arms and swaying. “You’re gonna be just fine. Do you think you can stay outside of Eddie or do you want back in? Tell Daddy what you need, okay, Sweets?”

 

“I want to be out for a bit please,” Venom requested, clinging to Daddy. 

 

“Can Daddy dress you then?” Wade requested, unsure of whether Venom’s biology was anything like a humans. He didn’t want to risk any accidents. 

 

“Okay…” Venom murmured, trying to understand each new sensation as Daddy rubbed his back and kissed his cheek.

 

“Do you wanna try a paci?” Wade prompted as he pulled out the basket of changing supplies which he made sure to stock with extra outfits as well.

 

Receiving a nod, Wade dug out a soother and slipped it into Venom’s mouth, which was noticeably smaller. The mercenary supposed that was a result of the symbiote’s mass being distributed differently and there for some features were altered. He watched with a smile as Venom started to find a rhythm with the comfort object while he laid him on their snuggle blanket. He was gentle but quick in securing a diaper and charcoal romper on Venom. He was doubly grateful now that Fury had blackmailed him into doing the Juniors version of the Program for the agency’s kids, in addition to the abused kids that needed a safe transition to a happy life. Something about seeing Wade’s disfigured face made him seem more relatable to those poor broken kids. It was eating at him that Eddie was still sitting alone and scared in the playpen.

 

“How’s that, Baby Inks?” Wade cooed, rubbing Venom’s tummy in soothing circles. He only received a nod so he figured it was safe to step away and grab Eddie. “Okay, Little Moonbeam, Daddy’s gotta grab Eddie, okay?”

 

Venom nodded and Wade swore he saw a shimmer of tears on the symbiote’s face. He hurried over to the playpen, tripping and catching himself along the way. When Wade reached Eddie, his alarm was in full swing as he watched Eddie spit up what had to be a second round blood. 

 

“Jarvis, send an SOS to Banner ASAP.” Wade demanded, carefully lifting Eddie out of the playpen and carrying him back to where he left Venom. “Tell him code CSU!”

 

“I’ve sent the SOS, Master Wilson.” Jarvis confirmed. “ETA is five minutes.”

 

“Daddy?!” Venom cried, sitting up and watching Wade situate Eddie in his lap and clean the blood from his face. “Eddie!”

 

“It’s gonna be okay, Baby Boys,” Wade promised, hefting Venom onto the other side of his lap and hugging them close. “Daddy will make sure you’re both okay.”

 

Eddie wailed and choked, coughing up more blood. The more Venom watched, the more upset he became. This was all his fault. If he had controlled himself more, he could’ve stayed put and then Eddie wouldn’t be upset and in pain. Better yet, if Venom hadn’t come back to Eddie at all, his favorite human and only friend would be healthy and happy… The trio was startled from their thoughts as Bruce rushed into the suite with Steve hot on his heels. The three men stopped dead in their tracks as they saw Venom separated from his host- sobbing his inky heart out- and Eddie spitting up blood and wailing his lungs out.

 

“So help me Gods, if you don’t do something to help my baby in two seconds, I will reach down your throat and start ripping your organs out one by one,” Wade hissed, glaring at the men before him.

 

“I’m sorry, Wade,” Bruce apologized, snapping out of his shocked state. “Tell me what happened.”

 

“We were all napping and then suddenly Venom seemed to spasm inside Eddie and before I knew it, he hurtled himself out of Eddie altogether,” Wade answered, watching as Bruce palpated Eddie’s torso. “When I checked on Eddie afterwards, I found him spitting up blood.”

 

“I think he has some cracked ribs,” Bruce diagnosed. “It’s possible that one cracked or splintered just right to poke into his lungs, which would explain the bloody spit up. It’s just like getting mucus stuck in the bronchial tubes. If your body feels that foreign substance, it will find a way to get rid of it, like coughing it up.”

 

“What do we do?” Wade demanded.

 

“We need to do an x-ray of Eddie’s chest. If there’s a puncture point, we’ll need to get in there and set the rib back in place.” Bruce answered. “Otherwise, there’s nothing we can do but wait it out and give him pain meds. He’ll likely regress even further. Do you think you can handle a newborn?”

 

“Of course I can, four eyes.” Wade snapped, sighing as he realized how much of a dick he was being to the man that dropped everything to help him. “I’m sorry, that was fucked up.”

 

“I understand, Wade,” Bruce forgave. “Let’s get him down to the infirmary.”

 

With Eddie in Steve’s arms wailing for Dada and Venom sobbing in Wade’s arms, the group made their way down to the lower level infirmary. The x-ray confirmed Bruce’s suspicions and they began to prep for surgery. It was while Wade and Venom were waiting just outside the doors that the ink baby spoke up.

 

“I have to go back, Daddy,” Venom stated, tears trickling down his face. “All my fault… I hurt him…”

 

“Baby, you couldn’t help it.” Wade disagreed. “How were you supposed to know that you’d go soaring out of Eddie like that?”

 

“I promised I’d never hurt him!” Venom lamented. “I need to fix him.”

 

“Baby, Uncle Bruce said it’s too risky for you to bond with him until we’re sure he’s stable.” Wade reminded. “You’re only supposed to bond sooner if you’re at risk of dying.”

 

“I don’t care!” Venom snapped, weakly pushing and hitting Daddy.

 

“Enough,” Wade warned with a harsh smack to Venom’s diapered rear. “If you keep up this tantrum, Daddy’s going to spank you. You’ll be able to bond with Eddie once he’s on the mend.”

 

“NO! I’M BONDING NOW!” Venom growled, trying to squirm out of the mercenary’s strong grip. He could have broke free easily, but he was afraid to hurt anyone else that he cared about.

 

“Alright, I warned you,” Wade simply responded, flipping Venom onto his stomach over his own lap. He undid the snaps on the romper’s crotch, moved the garment out of the way and untaped Venom’s diaper. “You’re getting ten smacks for growling at Daddy, hitting, pushing, and not listening.”

 

Before Venom cold argue, Daddy’s hand was raining down surprisingly hard smacks across his bottom. He barely made it through the first three before he broke down into body racking wails. He was even more embarrassed when Daddy gave him a surprised look after he thoroughly wet the diaper that was between his private area and Daddy’s lap. After a few more excruciating smacks- that hurt more emotionally since he knew Daddy was mad at him, it was over and Daddy cleaned and diapered him.

 

“Daddy didn’t like that, Moonbeam,” Wade confessed, lifting Venom back into his lap for snuggling. “Daddy hates punishing you, but you were lashing out and that’s not okay. You seemed to feel bad that you couldn’t punish yourself so I did it for you.”

 

“Sorry, Daddy,” Venom sniffled, clinging to Daddy.

 

“It’s okay, Moonbeam,” Wade forgave, kissing Venom’s cheeks and forehead. “Why don’t you tell Daddy what scared you out of Eddie? Did you have a bad dream?

 

“Uh-huh, Daddy,” Venom murmured. “I was on a killing spree. Most of them were bad people… But there was one that wasn’t…”

 

“What happened to the one that wasn’t?” 

 

“I ate her anyway and… and…” Venom hiccuped, the tears coming back.

 

“It’s okay, Baby Inks,” Wade assured him.

 

“She had a tiny baby and I killed and ate it!” Venom cried, burying his face in Daddy’s chest.

 

“Well, here’s the good news about dreams, Moonbeam,” Wade qualified. “They’re not real and they never will be.”

 

“I did eat a baby, Daddy!” Venom confessed. “That’s what got us in prison! I ate bad people and then I ate a Mommy and her baby!” 

 

Wade rubbed Venom’s back and thought it over. That was pretty bad and he understood why Venom was so broken up about it. He had crossed a line that he never meant to cross. Now, he was just a murderous alien to anyone who knew about the incident. Wade sighed and kissed his baby’s temple. There wasn’t much he could do other than console his child. So they sat there cuddling while Wade reassured Venom that he was just a baby in a new world and didn’t know it was wrong or bad. After some time, Bruce came out to say that they could go back into the infirmary and wait for Eddie to wake up. Wade thanked him and carried Venom in. They were taken to a curtained off section where Steve was situating a light and soft blanket over Eddie, who was tucked into a well-padded, see through, adult-sized bassinet supported by a stainless steel frame with a small cabinet set on the bottom. There was an IV in Eddie’s foot and a pacifier bobbing in his mouth. He was just barely awake as they came over.

 

“Hi, Sweet Boy,” Wade greeted, fighting back tears at the sight of his baby in such bad shape. He cracked a smile as Eddie cooed and reached for them. “Venom’s with Daddy too. See, Baby?”

 

Wade shifted Venom more into Eddie’s view. The doped up and happy baby sleepily squealed and spastically flailed his arms and legs against the mattress of the bassinet. As much as Wade hated what Eddie had to go through, he had to admit that Eddie made the cutest infant the program had seen since Tony Stark. Wade sat in the chair that Steve offered before he departed. He situated Venom in his lap and told Eddie all about the fun things they would do once he was all better. It wasn’t long before the baby was passed out and tucked in by Daddy. Venom felt an awful feeling in his core as he watched Eddie lay sleeping in the bassinet. He had to make it right and he had to bond with Eddie again. He just needed Daddy to fall asleep or get distracted first...


	6. Venom and the Nightmare Part II (Final)

“See, Moonbeam?” Wade prompted, gently bouncing Venom in his lap. “Eddie’s fine. He just feels extra tiny right now.”

 

Venom was deep in thought. He supposed Eddie could’ve been in worse shape. At the same time, he’d be in better shape if Venom was able to get back inside Eddie. His codex was in there somewhere but it was useless without him in there. If the symbiote tried to return, Daddy would surely lose it and pass them off to some strange new caregiver. What if Venom could dupe Daddy? That was what he’d been pondering before Daddy interrupted his train of thought. Before Venom could respond, Steve returned with a fussy baby Tony in his arms and a couple bottles in his hands.

 

“I figured you’ll need these soon between the two of them,” Steve explained, bouncing Tony once his hands were free. “Jarvis told me their favorites.”

 

“Dada!” Tony cried, sniffling and clinging to his Daddy.

 

“It’s okay, Pumpkin,” Steve cooed, rubbing his baby’s back and swaying slowly.

 

“Thanks, Steve,” Wade responded, setting Eddie’s off to the side and shifting Venom to a better nursing position. “Time to eat, Little One.”

 

Venom accepted the distraction happily, tuning out Daddy’s conversation with his supposed ‘Uncle Cap.’ Watching Eddie, a seed of jealousy and longing sprouted within the symbiote. Before Earth, his kind was known as the Klyntar. Their origins were a dark story. The very first of his kind was nothing more than a  severed shadow with the ability to mimic other living things. The hive mind they possessed so that their creator could command them as they pleased was an unwanted reminder of what they were created to be- destroyers, death in a vampiric, tendril-like mass. He could remember his own birth. His mother watching over the egg that he hatched out of… His father was off trying to assimilate to a new host and bring one back for him to consume… The worst moment of his early existence was devouring his mother as she held him like he was precious and delicate. His father was torn between proud, since it was in their nature, and disgusted because they were trying to be a better species. Eating your creator and protector wasn’t exactly reassuring to other species.

 

“It’s okay, Venom,” Wade soothed, rocking his baby in his arms. “Where’d you go, Little Nightlight?”

 

“Home…” Venom whimpered, surprised at himself for the emotions he was expressing. 

 

“Yeah, we’re still home, Baby,” Wade assured, confused by his charge’s answer.

 

“No… Klyntar…” Venom murmured snuggling closer to Daddy, who exchanged looks with Uncle Cap.

 

“I’m gonna take Tony up for a bottle and a nap,” Steve excused himself. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 

“What’s Klyntar, Sweets?” Wade asked as Steve departed.

 

“Born there…” Venom explained, clinging to Daddy. “Bad place…”

 

“I’m sorry, Moonbeam,” Wade acknowledged, continuing to rock his peculiar child. “I want you to know you’re safe now and I won’t let anything get you.”

 

“They’ll find us…” Venom cried, still running off the chemical and electrical pulses Eddie had running in his system before they separated.

 

“Who will, Baby?” Wade questioned, patting Venom’s padded rear as he continued to rock.

 

“The other Klyntar…”

 

“Well, we have a whole army of people to help keep them away and some very special friends that know all about the different races throughout the galaxy.” Wade reassured, internally freaked out about the new information. He knew there had to be others like Venom, but if they could find Earth, then there’s no telling what would become of the world Venom had grown so fond of. “You still have another nap to take, Sweets. I think we should curl up in the bed beside Eddie’s bassinet for some snuggles.”

 

Venom didn’t fuss or argue. He didn’t agree. Lost in his own mind and memories, Venom was barely aware of Wade relocating them. He thought about his childhood and all that he had learned about what it took for his species to survive. Was it really worth it? Venom had been uncertain about all that he’d been forced into since awakening from his restorative hibernation until more recently. That Romanov lady was a spitfire like Annie and he loved that, but not in the context that they’d been in. He saw the agent as more of a potential mate than his prefered parental figure. Wade fit the bill perfectly, though Venom wasn’t entirely sure why… Before he could ponder that peculiarity for much longer, he had fallen asleep once more as Wade continued to rub his back and give him little kisses here and there.

 

~~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~~

 

Venom remembered the one. The one that changed his course in life forever. He had been the average Klyntar like most of the others in the hive. But then they found a planet that was full of species the Klyntar called the Midnight Masochists. The people there were primitive warriors with backwards concepts of attraction and interaction. What was beautiful to most was repulsive to them. Where matters would be settled over discussion or trial or even lesser punishment, disputes were resolved with bloodshed- whether fatal or not. The Klyntar’s presence helped to evoke peace in the people there. They needed their hosts to survive as long as possible. When the threat from what the Midnight Masochists called the “Alpha Planet” arrived, the Klyntar panicked and fell back to their old ways in order to survive until they could find a new hospitable planet. They ravaged their hosts until all the organs were gone- nothing left but flesh and bone. 

 

The only one who stayed beyond was Venom. He felt the bond between his host and himself influencing his actions. The being he inhabited was forced to watch as many were slaughtered, including that being’s own family. It demanded that Venom aid him in his quest for revenge. With Venom’s aid, the host slaughtered its own kind and the invaders alike until the Klyntar’s own mind was corrupted with bloodlust. The symbiotic creature participated in mass murder- beheading hundreds and piling their bodies in the center of the village. That is, until the leader of the invaders from the “Alpha Planet” discovered them. Venom finally fled with the last of his kind, but it was already too late. 

 

The next peaceful beings they inhabited were tormented by the poisoned Klyntar until the hive decided it was time. Venom was exiled in a carefully crafted capsule designed by the most recent wave of hosts. Sent to die, he lost track of time until he was found by being wielding a large object- a hammer- and was kept in captivity on a new planet. It was sometime before he made contact with a new potential host. There was something about the being that made Venom’s being alight with electricity that he hadn’t felt since he bonded with his first host.

 

~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~

 

Venom awoke with a start. NO. No, no, no. That wasn’t right. 

 

“Goodness sakes, Baby Inks,” Wade cooed, groggily inquiring as he adjusted his hold on Venom. “What’s the matter? Did you have another bad dream?”

 

“No.” Venom breathed, squinting his eyes at his guardian and putting his hand to the mercenaries heart, semi-permeating the clothes and skin encasing the organ.

 

“What’s going on, Little Nightlight?” Wade pressed, a bit startled as Venom pulled his inky hand back out of his chest.

 

“You abandoned me.” Venom accused, pulling away from Wade. “You left me to die!”

 

“What…?” Wade pressed, confused by the leaps that were occurring.

 

“Years ago, you left me to rot in a glass tube. You left me be the artifact of the man with the hammer of white hot light!” Venom spat. “I was imprisoned until Riot found me! He put me through hell to prove my allegiance to my kind and used me to scout out our next long term meal. It is all your fault! Eddie would never be here if it weren’t for you!”

Wade thought about Venom’s words for a moment. Something was striking him as familiar… The man with the hammer of white hot light… A glass tube… A black substance… Oh, Fuck. The symbiote was right. Wade had found the one that eventually became his adoptive child years ago. He had been trying to find a better material for his suit after having the latest one torn to shreds. Thor had been on Earth and had suggested that Wade look into the substance he had been trying to find a purpose for. As soon as the mercenary made contact with the the inky black substance through the glass, he knew something was off and that it wasn’t something he should do. He was very mentally unstable and something told him that having a living creature as a suit was recipe for a miniature apocalypse. So Wade had denied the offer to take it and never went back. The mercenary’s chest ached and his expression became pained as the realization dawned on him.

 

“Venom, I am so sorry.” Wade apologized, tears falling down his face for the first time since he lost Vanessa. “I didn’t know what you were or your story. I wasn’t stable enough to take you in without doing more damage than repairs. I’ve been through some shit and I was afraid of what could’ve happened if things didn’t go the way I intended.”

 

“Fuck you, Mercenary.” Venom growled, attempting to rise from the bed and instead finding himself on his hands and knees on the floor. 

 

“Venom, please!” Wade pleaded, rushing to help the symbiote. “Let me make it up to you!”

 

Venom pinned Wade with an icy glare as he coolly dismissed the man, “Make it up to me? I was twice sent to die by my own kind and one of those times could have been prevented by you. Eddie would still be healthy and with Annie if you hadn’t left me to be captured by Riot. They never would have found Asgard, which would mean no Earth and no strife for Eddie. My discovery led the others to allowing themselves to get caught by the humans so that we could invade. If the humans never found us, Annie never would have worked for the man who aided the arrival of my kind and Eddie never would have lost everything to that man. There is no redemption, no salvation, for a creature with such blatant disregard as you. Have a nice life.”

 

“What?! Where are you going?!” Wade demanded a little too loudly as Venom relaxed his form and disappeared into the nearest vent like ink into a vacuum. “Oh, Eddie, baby, I’m so sorry! Daddy’s sorry, Pumpkin!” 

 

As Wade attempted to soothe his remaining charge, an alarm sounded throughout the building. Jarvis announced a full lockdown- no one in or out. Unfortunately for Wade, Fury was already in the building. Wade cursed internally as the alarm faded out and Jarvis announced the building was fully locked down. Rocking Eddie in the bassinet, he let the tears fall as he breathed apologies to his crying child and awaited his fate. If he was lucky, there would be not mercy from Hurricane Fury and Steve, who had knack for sweet and sensitive babies and was far more deserving of the little miracles, would take Eddie in and give Wade's babies a better life than he could. He couldn't live through another loss and after what Venom had been through and said, there was no forgiveness to be had.


End file.
